Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui at the National Youth Dance Company

Posted on May 2, 2014

Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui will be the next guest artistic director of the National Youth Dance Company (NYDC). The company has just given acclaimed performances at Sadler’s Wells under its current guest director, Akram Khan.

Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui’s works include zero degrees, created with Akram Khan, Antony Gormley and Nitin Sawhney, and the Olivier award-winning Babel^(words). He is the company’s third guest director, following Jasmin Vardimon and Khan. All three guest directors are associate artists of Sadler’s Wells, which hosts NYDC.

The young members of NYDC are recruited from workshops taking place across England. These Experience Workshops are open to dancers aged 16 to 18 of all backgrounds and abilities, with experience in any dance style. The chosen dancers will have the chance to work with a range of teachers and choreographers to learn, create and perform innovative work, drawing on a range of dance techniques including contemporary dance, ballet and hip hop.

Dancers who would like to join NYDC should attend one of the Experience Workshops, which include teaching on technique and creative elements and an information session on NYDC, further training and careers in dance. Workshops are free, but places must be reserved by emailing NYDC@sadlerswells.com.

The current company will tour the UK with Khan’s The Rashomon Effect, specially created for these dancers, and Vertical Road. See here for tour dates and more information about the company. See here for Dance Today‘s feature on Cherkaoui’s work with tango dancers for milonga.

Picture: Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui. Photograph: Koen Broos

Zoe Anderson

Zoë was born in Edinburgh, and saw her first dance performances at the Festival there. She is the dance critic of The Independent, and has also written for The Independent on Sunday, The Scotsman and Dancing Times. In 2002, she received her doctorate from the University of York for a thesis on “Nationhood and epic romance: Ariosto, Sidney, Spenser”. She is the author of The Royal Ballet: 75 Years and The Ballet Lover’s Companion.